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Liberals on better-than-expected ground, plan to spend billions on skilled trades in economic update

Liberals on better-than-expected ground, plan to spend billions on skilled trades in economic update

Projections put deficit $11.5B lower than November budget. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's spring economic update finds the Liberal government sitting in a better-than-expected position — driven by a resilient economy and surging oil prices — which it's using to justify billions in new spending to train up tens of thousands of skilled workers and set up a sovereign wealth fund...

Carney Liberals launching new skilled training strategy, deficit projected at $65.3B

Carney Liberals launching new skilled training strategy, deficit projected at $65.3B

In its first-ever spring economic update, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s newly minted majority government is promising to spend billions on a strategy to train more skilled workers to help deliver on its plans to build big. The revised fiscal outlook also shows that while the federal deficit is $11. 4 billion lower in the current fiscal year than what was...

Liberals table first fiscal document in seven years that won't need opposition votes

Liberals table first fiscal document in seven years that won't need opposition votes

The Liberal government released a spring economic update today closely focused on boosting investment and job training. While the document contains measures that likely would face pushback from the opposition, the Liberals -- thanks to their new parliamentary majority -- won't have to worry about securing opposition votes to pass it. The update includes the previously announced creation of the...

Liberals target affordability to meet era of uncertainty in spring fiscal update

Liberals target affordability to meet era of uncertainty in spring fiscal update

The federal Liberals say they're getting a windfall from better-than-expected fiscal revenues and are largely putting that money back into circulation to support households and build up the economy. But Ottawa's spring economic update also sees some darker clouds on the horizon as uncertainty over the Iran war and U.S. tariffs threatens growth in the years ahead. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe...

Shell invests $22 billion in Canada's oilpatch and more deals could be coming

Shell invests $22 billion in Canada's oilpatch and more deals could be coming

'The tide is definitely changing here,' says analysts as foreign interest grows. After selling off a large chunk of its Canadian assets nearly a decade ago, U.K.-based energy giant Shell is now expanding its operations in Alberta and British Columbia by acquiring Calgary-based ARC Resources for $22 billion. It is the latest in a series of deals in the Canadian...

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Liberals 45, Conservatives 32 – Carney ahead of Poilievre by 24 points on preferred PM tracking

Liberals 45, Conservatives 32 – Carney ahead of Poilievre by 24 points on preferred PM tracking

Canada’s political landscape remains tilted towards the incumbents, though with signs of restlessness beneath the surface. Economic pressures continue to dominate public concern, with jobs, inflation and the broader cost of living crowding out other issues. Support for the governing Liberals remains well ahead of their rivals, while the Conservatives struggle to convert dissatisfaction into momentum. Smaller parties hold their...

Liberals Hold Commanding Lead in Tightened Race

Liberals Hold Commanding Lead in Tightened Race

The Liberal Party maintains a commanding lead, though its advantage has narrowed somewhat over the past month. The Liberals stand at 44.5 per cent nationally, while the Conservatives are 14 points behind at 31.0 per cent. Although the Liberals would easily win a majority government with these numbers, the margin has tightened from nearly 21 points last month.



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Canada’s ‘New Government’ has no interest in arresting our economic decline

Canada’s ‘New Government’ has no interest in arresting our economic decline

If you have been wondering what meaning to attach to that irritating phrase the Carney Liberals use to describe themselves, “Canada’s New Government” – which was irritating enough when it was first employed, under Stephen Harper, when it was actually a new government – wonder no longer. As this Spring Economic Update makes abundantly clear, it means nothing whatever. Or...

Mark Carney’s fiscal juggling act is focused on the here and now for Canadians

Mark Carney’s fiscal juggling act is focused on the here and now for Canadians

“Let me make it real for you.” In that one short, sharp sentence, Finance Minister François Philippe Champagne acknowledged the political juggling act that Mark Carney’s government is trying to pull off as it embarks on its second year of power.

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Defence Investment Agency to be given new authority, oversight

Defence Investment Agency to be given new authority, oversight

OTTAWA -- A new government office tasked with purchasing the most expensive equipment for the military is about to be upgraded to give it new independence and oversight, according to the Liberal government's spring economic update.

Ottawa outlines plans to tackle financial crime, ban crypto ATMs

Ottawa outlines plans to tackle financial crime, ban crypto ATMs

OTTAWA -- The federal government plans to ban cryptocurrency ATMs as part of a suite of measures in its spring economic statement targeting financial crimes.

Politician's Pen

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Mark Carney and Danielle Smith are about to define Canada’s climate future

Mark Carney and Danielle Smith are about to define Canada’s climate future

Canada is at a crossroads. In the coming days and weeks, the federal government will decide whether the country compromises its climate commitments or embraces a more sustainable path towards a greener future.

Nova Scotia could be a natural gas superpower, too

Nova Scotia could be a natural gas superpower, too

Its natural gas reserves have the potential to enrich its people and power the world. Let’s get some shovels in the ground



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Patty Hajdu just put her foot in it again, and she can only be boosting Tory unity

Patty Hajdu just put her foot in it again, and she can only be boosting Tory unity

Nothing is likely to shore up Conservative esprit de corps like the sight of Patty Hajdu rising in the House of Commons and accusing the Official Opposition of being “against Canada.”

Carney's new fund is for corporate welfare, not sovereign wealth

Carney's new fund is for corporate welfare, not sovereign wealth

Congratulations, Canada! On Monday, our nation joined an exclusive club: countries with sovereign wealth funds. Norway, Kuwait and other resource-rich nations have long tapped royalties and budget surpluses to fund investment vehicles: in this era of geopolitical uncertainty and an erratic neighbour, Prime Minister Mark Carney thinks it’s time Canada does the same.

Is Mark Carney making a big mistake by not following Norway’s highly successful wealth fund plan?

Is Mark Carney making a big mistake by not following Norway’s highly successful wealth fund plan?

The thing about the new Canadian “sovereign wealth fund” (SWF) announced on Monday by Prime Minister Mark Carney is that, judging by what we know so far, it’ll be pretty much the opposite of what he’s comparing it to. The prime minister cited Norway as a leading example of a country with a successful SWF — and so it is...

Mark Carney looks for investment the Liberal way

Mark Carney looks for investment the Liberal way

For all the talk that Prime Minister Mark Carney is a small-c conservative his announcement that Canada will create a sovereign wealth fund was a confirmation of his capital-L Liberal predilections. The form of the fund might be a little surprising, given that the sovereign wealth funds of resource-rich nations are usually seeded with windfall earnings socked away for the...

Max Fawcett's beef with Poilievre (and me)

Max Fawcett's beef with Poilievre (and me)

My March podcast interview with Pierre Poilievre drew a lot of attention, but one of the sharpest responses came from Max Fawcett, an award-winning Calgary journalist who’s been sharply critical of the notion that the West’s resource sector is singled out for mistreatment. Max just flat cancelled his subscription to this newsletter, and tore a strip off me on Bluesky...

Why Canada’s supply management system is going to disappear

Why Canada’s supply management system is going to disappear

Asked about how he went bankrupt, one of the characters in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises replies, “gradually, then suddenly.” That’s what’s in store for Canada’s supply management system, an outdated, regressive policy from the 1970s that protects the dairy and poultry sectors by artificially raising consumer prices and drastically restricting imports. It will disappear, gradually then suddenly...



A wealth fund that isn't starting with excess wealth

A wealth fund that isn't starting with excess wealth

Sovereign wealth funds are typically established by countries to manage their surplus wealth. Canada has just established the Canada Strong Fund — this country’s first national sovereign wealth fund — despite being deeply in the red. In short, there is no surplus wealth to manage.

Canadians should brace themselves for possibly extreme measures from Trump

Canadians should brace themselves for possibly extreme measures from Trump

No Canadian prime minister has ever faced a more difficult relationship with an American president than Prime Minister Mark Carney does with Donald Trump.

Carney is preparing us for something, we’re just not sure what

Carney is preparing us for something, we’re just not sure what

Like others, my immediate thoughts upon watching Prime Minister Mark Carney’s “Forward Guidance” video was a comparison to former United States president Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” during the 1930s and ’40s. FDR used these chats for several purposes but, like Carney, most importantly they were a way of communicating directly with voters without the filters of media. FDR’s chats...

A USMCA defensive action that can’t really buy peace

A USMCA defensive action that can’t really buy peace

It’s nice that U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen got a few cheers in Canada for taking U.S. officials to task for their insults. But it’s the injury that is the real problem. Ms. Shaheen snapped back at U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who had recently said his Canadian counterparts “suck” and complained during a Senate subcommittee hearing last week that liquor...

Behind the trade talk bluster, Donald Trump is panicking. This is how Canada should respond

Behind the trade talk bluster, Donald Trump is panicking. This is how Canada should respond

You wouldn’t know it, from their usual delusional bluster, but Donald Trump’s team is starting to panic. And perhaps they should. The president’s popularity is plummeting. One clear reason: the economic revolution he promised has turned into a catastrophe.

Is Canada becoming a one-party state?

Is Canada becoming a one-party state?

While the federal Liberals smugly refer to themselves as Canada’s natural governing party, the historical record suggests that may be true, despite the danger it poses to democracy.



Doug Ford’s problem wasn’t the plane, it was the politics

Doug Ford’s problem wasn’t the plane, it was the politics

Let me be clear: on the underlying question, Doug Ford was right.

By taunting Mark Carney, Donald Trump’s trade team is only helping Canada

By taunting Mark Carney, Donald Trump’s trade team is only helping Canada

If U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration hoped to strengthen Canada’s hand in trade talks, it could hardly have done a better job. This week, the U.S. deputy trade representative Rick Switzer told the Council of Foreign Relations that Prime Minister Mark Carney is guilty of “political malpractice” for pitting himself politically against the president, that he’s driven by his “ego,”...

The important questions raised by Parliament's game of musical chairs

The important questions raised by Parliament's game of musical chairs

With Liberal MPs holding a majority of seats in the House of Commons, government House leader Steven MacKinnon moved a motion on Thursday that would see that majority reflected in the allotment of seats on House committees. This would be an entirely remarkable development — the sort of procedural housekeeping that occurs at the start of each Parliament — except...

With a Little Help from his Friends: Mark Carney’s New Trade Committee

With a Little Help from his Friends: Mark Carney’s New Trade Committee

In the classic Canadian tradition of diffusing the pain by enlarging the official target field, Prime Minister Mark Carney this week unveiled a 24-member Advisory Committee on Canada-US Economic Relations to buttress his negotiating team heading into the looming CUSMA review with the United States and Mexico. The committee is composed of some pan-partisan political figures, from former federal Tory...

Trump may be temporary. The damage he is doing isn’t

Trump may be temporary. The damage he is doing isn’t

Was John Turner right? Is Donald Trump’s weaponization of Canada’s dependence on trade with the United States vindication of the Liberal leader’s dire prophecies during the 1988 election campaign? Is this the bitter fruit of the Mulroney government’s decision, all those years ago, to sign a free-trade agreement with the United States?

Expect Trump to try to punish Canada for not bending the knee

Expect Trump to try to punish Canada for not bending the knee

We’ve been warned for months that Canada faces exceedingly tough talks on renewing the CUSMA/USMCA trade deal. With Donald Trump blowing off the importance of Canada (“we don’t need anything they have”), it was shaping up as a cage match at the negotiating table. As of this week, though, we face the very real possibility of an even more ominous...



Political Pulse: NDP to lose last Quebec MP as Boulerice set to resign

Political Pulse: NDP to lose last Quebec MP as Boulerice set to resign

In a recent op-ed, Liberal MP and former environment minister Steven Guilbeault wrote that the government's energy ambitions put the country at a climate crossroads. Power & Politics questions Guilbeault on his hopes for the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding, and on his thoughts regarding the current state of the Liberal party.

Carney can’t stickhandle a new world order alone. He’ll need help from his hockey buddy

Carney can’t stickhandle a new world order alone. He’ll need help from his hockey buddy

When Mark Carney skated over to the TV cameras at an ice rink in Ottawa this month, he introduced his hockey buddy Alexander Stubb to Canadians as “the man, the myth, the legend” and the prime minister’s “No. 1 draft choice.” Carney isn’t putting together a beer league, nor is he trying out for the Ottawa Charge, whose practice he...

Avi Lewis is smart to shed light on surveillance pricing

Avi Lewis is smart to shed light on surveillance pricing

New NDP Leader Avi Lewis has set his sights on bringing an end to the practice of surveillance pricing, calling it a “crystal clear example of why we desperately need government guardrails to protect us from the triple threat of Big Tech, AI and corporate monopolies that dominate every sector of our economy.” During a press conference in Ottawa flanked...

A worrying sign of tech blindness as USMCA talks approach

A worrying sign of tech blindness as USMCA talks approach

Among the former politicians and CEOs of a mining giant, a paper company, a steel company, a potash producer, a railway, a bank, and lobby groups for small business and the auto and aluminum sectors, there was a glaring omission: experts from the tech sector. The 24 people on the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations announced by Prime Minister...

The Tories say the Carney majority is illegitimate. Their reasoning speaks to a larger issue

The Tories say the Carney majority is illegitimate. Their reasoning speaks to a larger issue

Opinion on Canada’s New! Liberal! Majority! Government! has tended to divide into two camps. On one hand are those, mostly to be found on the Conservative end of things, who denounce the process by which the Liberals attained their majority – five opposition MPs, crossing the floor one after the other, like baby ducks – as illegitimate, even undemocratic. Canadians...

Washington’s set to eat Canada’s digital sovereignty for lunch in the CUSMA talks

Washington’s set to eat Canada’s digital sovereignty for lunch in the CUSMA talks

Jim Balsillie said Canada was ‘hijacked’ last time around and is likely to be further disadvantaged in the pending negotiations

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Feds outline $4.3B for Indigenous education, health in spring economic update

Feds outline $4.3B for Indigenous education, health in spring economic update

OTTAWA -- The federal government is promising $4.3 billion for First Nations education, Inuit food security and Indigenous child welfare in its spring economic update.

Feds formalize enhanced oil recovery tax credit flip-flop in spring economic update

Feds formalize enhanced oil recovery tax credit flip-flop in spring economic update

OTTAWA -- The federal government's spring economic update today formalizes a pivot in climate policy that was first made in last year's energy agreement with Alberta.

Big spending, smaller deficit: key numbers from the spring economic update

Big spending, smaller deficit: key numbers from the spring economic update

OTTAWA -- Here's a brief look at some of the key numbers in the Liberal government's 2026 spring economic update:

Federal government to inject $755 million into Canadian sport over five years

Federal government to inject $755 million into Canadian sport over five years

The federal government had added $755 million in sport funding over the next five years, which drops to $118 million after that, as part of its spring economic update.

Defence Investment Agency to be revamped under 'new minister'

Defence Investment Agency to be revamped under 'new minister'

OTTAWA -- The Liberal government says the office tasked with making major purchases for the military is about to be upgraded to give it new independence and oversight.

Spring economic update includes plans to cut spending on consultants, protect whales

Spring economic update includes plans to cut spending on consultants, protect whales

OTTAWA -- The federal government tabled its spring economic update on Tuesday, projecting a $66.9 billion deficit for the fiscal year which ended on March 31.

Lawyer says Alberta premier exploiting loophole with referendum site, wants ad ban

Lawyer says Alberta premier exploiting loophole with referendum site, wants ad ban

An Edmonton lawyer is calling on Elections Alberta to close a loophole allowing Premier Danielle Smith's government to advertise in favour of her fall referendum on sweeping immigration reform. Provincial law prohibits the government from advertising or publishing certain information related to a referendum if the vote is taking place alongside a general or municipal election. Legislation passed last year...

United Arab Emirates says it will leave OPEC, a blow to the oil cartel

United Arab Emirates says it will leave OPEC, a blow to the oil cartel

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of one of its largest producers and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices. The UAE's decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had...

European Union top brass says Carney is off to Armenia this weekend for summit

European Union top brass says Carney is off to Armenia this weekend for summit

The European Union says Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Armenia this weekend as part of a summit focused on strategic issues. Carney's office has not publicly confirmed the visit, but European Council President Antonio Costa says on social media that the prime minister will be attending. The European Political Community summit will take place in the Armenian capital...

Prime Minister Mark Carney promises 'good news' in spring economic update

Prime Minister Mark Carney promises 'good news' in spring economic update

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Liberals are "good fiscal managers" — and he'll have the chance to prove it when the federal government tables its spring economic update Tuesday afternoon. The federal government typically tables mid-year updates between annual budgets to revise its economic and fiscal projections. These updates can include new spending and are sometimes referred to as...

Saskatchewan's Moe supportive of sovereign wealth fund, calls for easing regulations

Saskatchewan's Moe supportive of sovereign wealth fund, calls for easing regulations

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is calling Ottawa's new sovereign wealth fund a good initiative. But Moe says if Prime Minister Mark Carney really wants to unlock investments in major projects, then the government should walk back a number of environmental policies he says are getting in the way. Carney says the fund will be used to invest in major Canadian...

State of 24 Sussex 'an embarrassment,' says Carney - PM says he wants to see his successors return to official residence

State of 24 Sussex 'an embarrassment,' says Carney - PM says he wants to see his successors return to official residence

PM says he wants to see his successors return to official residence. The state of 24 Sussex Drive is "an embarrassment," says Prime Minister Mark Carney, who suggested he wants a decision made about the future of the derelict residence meant for Canada's prime ministers. "You're not going to see me at 24 Sussex, but I would like to see...

Canada won't be 'chasing a small deal' to get U.S. tariff relief, Carney says

Canada won't be 'chasing a small deal' to get U.S. tariff relief, Carney says

Prime minister points to other countries he suggests are unhappy with agreements reached with U.S. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada and the U.S. could resolve the ongoing tariff dispute within "days" if the U.S. side had the "bandwidth and the inclination to go through with it." The U.S. has maintained hefty import levies on a number of Canadian goods...

‘Rushed return’: with Liberals now in a majority, former cabinet staffers and past Grit MPs ‘want back in’

‘Rushed return’: with Liberals now in a majority, former cabinet staffers and past Grit MPs ‘want back in’

Former B.C. Liberal MP John Aldag wants his party to begin nominating candidates as soon as possible so they can start campaigning and fundraising for the next election. A significant number of exempt ministerial and MP staffers who left in 2024 expecting a Liberal defeat are now returning to Parliament Hill, as the party now holds a majority and Prime...

Liberals question Senate’s handling of bail reform bill

Liberals question Senate’s handling of bail reform bill

A senior government source told iPolitics that senators are slowing down a bill supported by the Liberals and Conservatives, as well as provincial and territorial premiers, and municipal police chiefs.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announces Canada's 1st sovereign wealth fund

Prime Minister Mark Carney announces Canada's 1st sovereign wealth fund

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the country's first national sovereign wealth fund on Monday, pitching it as a way for Canadians to invest in nation-building projects. Carney said the Canada Strong Fund will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology. The prime minister said the federal government will put up funds...

Carney's trade advisory group meets for 1st time, welcomes new member

Carney's trade advisory group meets for 1st time, welcomes new member

Prime Minister Mark Carney's new advisory council on Canada--U.S. trade met for the first time today, ahead of trade negotiations with President Donald Trump's White House that are set to begin over the coming months. Carney recently struck the new committee in preparation for the scheduled review of the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, which must...

Quebec premier meets U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington D.C.

Quebec premier meets U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington D.C.

Quebec's premier met today in Washington D.C. with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, an influential member of President Donald Trump's cabinet. Christine Frechette met Greer ahead of negotiations between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico on the continental free-trade pact, scheduled to begin July 1.

Canadian manufacturers call for tariffs on global imports of wood products

Canadian manufacturers call for tariffs on global imports of wood products

Canadian wood manufacturers are welcoming a trade inquiry into wood imports but say the investigation needs to be followed by immediate provisional tariffs on foreign-made goods entering the country. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the government had directed the Canadian International Trade Tribunal to launch an inquiry into global imports of wood cabinets and vanities, hardwood flooring...

Business groups say new sovereign wealth fund another helpful tool

Business groups say new sovereign wealth fund another helpful tool

Business groups say the federal government's decision to establish Canada's first sovereign wealth fund could be helpful to get projects going, but is not a singular fix. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the Canada Strong Fund on Monday, saying it will invest in major Canadian industrial projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology with an initial...

Liberals formalize majority, move to limit debate on committee restructuring

Liberals formalize majority, move to limit debate on committee restructuring

The three Liberals who won the byelections that secured a majority government for Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this month took their seats in the House of Commons on Monday. The government moved quickly to make use of its new majority powers by introducing a motion to limit debate on a change to the House rules that would enable the...

NDP leader says he won't run in Quebec byelection after Boulerice announces departure

NDP leader says he won't run in Quebec byelection after Boulerice announces departure

NDP Leader Avi Lewis said Monday he won't run in an upcoming Quebec byelection to fill a seat being left vacant by Alexandre Boulerice. Boulerice officially announced Monday he is leaving Parliament to run provincially for the Quebec solidaire after spending 15 years as an MP. He will sit as an Independent until he formally resigns his seat in the...

'Extremely sovereigntist': Alexandre Boulerice quits federal NDP to join Quebec party

'Extremely sovereigntist': Alexandre Boulerice quits federal NDP to join Quebec party

After 15 years in Ottawa with the NDP, Montreal MP Alexandre Boulerice says he is quitting federal politics to join Quebec solidaire -- a leftist, sovereigntist party -- ahead of October's provincial election. His departure had been an open secret for some time, and he made the official announcement Monday in the Montreal riding of Gouin, where he will seek...

What PM Carney is saying about affordability the day before the spring economic update

What PM Carney is saying about affordability the day before the spring economic update

On the eve of his first spring economic update, Prime Minister Mark Carney insists his government is focused on “doing more than one thing at one time” to increase affordability for Canadians. Carney made the comments in Ottawa Monday, speaking to reporters following his announcement that his government is creating Canada’s first national sovereign wealth fund. A sovereign wealth fund...

Conservatives call on auditor general to investigate $250 million PrescribeIT program

Conservatives call on auditor general to investigate $250 million PrescribeIT program

Conservative MPs are calling on the auditor general to probe the federal government's handling of a $250 million program which is reportedly set to be scrapped next month. PrescribeIT was launched in 2017 to modernize the way doctors send prescriptions to pharmacies and to phase out older technology, such as fax machines. Conservative MP Dan Mazier cites reporting by The...

Three newest MPs enter House of Commons after byelections

Three newest MPs enter House of Commons after byelections

The three Liberals who won the byelections earlier this month that secured a majority government for Prime Minister Mark Carney are taking their seats in the House of Commons today. Doly Begum, Danielle Martin and Tatiana Auguste were sworn in as members of Parliament on Saturday. Begum and Martin are newcomers who replaced outgoing cabinet ministers Bill Blair and Chrystia...

These voters are mad — and they’re wondering where their floor-crossing MP has gone

These voters are mad — and they’re wondering where their floor-crossing MP has gone

The sign on the door says “closed” and Jamie Morningstar is not happy. Clutching an envelope of income tax papers, he’s come for help to the constituency office of local MP Marilyn Gladu, who two weeks ago stunned the populace — and Parliament — by jumping from the Conservatives to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals.

Lower-than-forecasted deficit, new affordability measures expected in spring fiscal update

Lower-than-forecasted deficit, new affordability measures expected in spring fiscal update

Finance minister says economic resilience and affordability are priorities. Finance experts predict Tuesday's spring economic update will contain a number of new economic measures aimed at tackling affordability and the wider economic challenges of the country, and they expect the update will show a smaller-than-forecasted deficit. "That'll be the headline number that will likely get a lot of attention," said...

Poll suggests Canadians want Carney government focused on affordability in next year

Poll suggests Canadians want Carney government focused on affordability in next year

A new poll from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians are giving Prime Minister Mark Carney's government a passing grade in its first year of international relations, but it has failed to meet expectations on affordability issues. The poll asked 2,013 Canadians a series of questions about the government's performance since it won the election on April 28, 2025. Last...

338 Sunday Update: Conservatives Losing Ground. Not a Liberal surge - that came last winter - but a steady erosion of CPC support is widening the gap.

338 Sunday Update: Conservatives Losing Ground. Not a Liberal surge - that came last winter - but a steady erosion of CPC support is widening the gap.

Fresh off a by-election sweep and a newly formed (if thin) majority in the House of Commons, the federal Liberals have increased their lead over the Conservatives in recent days—not because Liberal support has surged, but because the Conservatives have slipped further back in the aggregate. In our latest episode of The Numbers (recorded Thursday morning), Eric and I discussed...



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King Charles highlights US-UK bond in speech to Congress before state dinner

King Charles highlights US-UK bond in speech to Congress before state dinner

WASHINGTON (AP) -- King Charles III marked the 250th anniversary of American independence from Britain with gratitude that the two countries united to build "one of the most consequential alliances in human history" while urging "that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking."

Trump and Charles greet each other warmly and meet in Oval Office on a day of diplomacy for the king

Trump and Charles greet each other warmly and meet in Oval Office on a day of diplomacy for the king

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump and King Charles III greeted each other warmly on Tuesday as the monarch began a day of diplomacy in Washington designed to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.

King Charles III will meet Trump and address Congress in a bid to spotlight UK-US ties

King Charles III will meet Trump and address Congress in a bid to spotlight UK-US ties

WASHINGTON (AP) -- King Charles III will embrace some of Washington's most formal ceremonial trappings on Tuesday as he tries to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.

King Charles III to meet Trump and address Congress in bid to spotlight UK-US ties

King Charles III to meet Trump and address Congress in bid to spotlight UK-US ties

WASHINGTON (AP) -- King Charles III will embrace some of Washington's most formal ceremonial trappings on Tuesday as he tries to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.

International

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United Arab Emirates says it will leave OPEC, a blow to the oil cartel

United Arab Emirates says it will leave OPEC, a blow to the oil cartel

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of one of its largest producers and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices. The UAE's decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had...

White House says suspect in Correspondents’ Dinner shooting wanted to target Trump officials

White House says suspect in Correspondents’ Dinner shooting wanted to target Trump officials

President Donald Trump and top officials were rushed to safety after shots were fired near stairs leading down to the main ballroom.

Ottawa announces 'incremental increase' in direct flights to China

Ottawa announces 'incremental increase' in direct flights to China

Ottawa has announced an increase in the number of direct flights permitted to bring passengers and cargo to and from China. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says there will be "an incremental increase" in flights between the countries in response to Prime Minister Mark Carney's outreach visit to Beijing in January. Canadian and Chinese airlines will be allowed to boost the...

Two Indian ships come under fire in Strait of Hormuz after Iran reasserts control

Two Indian ships come under fire in Strait of Hormuz after Iran reasserts control

The strait will not be fully reopened “until America allows full freedom of navigation for vessels traveling from Iran,” Iranian military officials indicated. Iranian military officials said Saturday that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have reverted to "strict control," citing the continued U.S. blockade of its ports, just one day after declaring the waterway “completely open.”

Carney calls for resumption of shipping during Strait of Hormuz talks

Carney calls for resumption of shipping during Strait of Hormuz talks

Prime Minister Mark Carney told world leaders today Canada welcomes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Prime Minister's Office says Carney took part virtually in a meeting with dozens of world leaders to talk about securing the strait.

Think Tank

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Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is Now More Robust than Ever. But Will Carney Deliver?

Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is Now More Robust than Ever. But Will Carney Deliver?

The first year of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s leadership has had a transformational impact on both Canada’s foreign policy and its standing in the world. The shift has been especially evident in the Indo-Pacific, where Ottawa is more active, more strategic, and more ambitious than it has ever been.

Reclaiming control, restoring caution – Fixing Canada’s broken immigration system

Reclaiming control, restoring caution – Fixing Canada’s broken immigration system

Canada’s long-standing openness helped build one of the world’s most respected immigration systems. However, the intellectual establishment’s push for ever-expanding “inclusivity” has driven that openness beyond what many Canadians consider reasonable.

Do Candidates in Canadian Elections Share the Same Views as Their Constituents on the Division of Powers within the Federation?

Do Candidates in Canadian Elections Share the Same Views as Their Constituents on the Division of Powers within the Federation?

A comparison of two separate surveys conducted during the 2021 and 2025 election years shows a misalignment between the positions of election candidates and those of their constituents on the division of powers in Canada. While the views of candidates and voters were relatively close on this issue in 2021, the gap widened in 2025. The percentage of voters who...


Substacks

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A collection of SubStack publishing within Canadian public affairs.

Real climate action requires near-term mandates with teeth

Real climate action requires near-term mandates with teeth

Earlier this month, the federal government quietly released its annual inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, now with data up to 2024. The news was not good. Carbon pollution reduction effectively stalled in 2024 (down a measly 0.3 per cent from the previous year and down only 10 per cent from 2005). Canada, simply put, is not on the trajectory...

Move over Mark Carney: it's Pope Leo

Move over Mark Carney: it's Pope Leo

I nearly drove off the road when I heard Pope Leo’s powerful message on the radio this week.

Complaining about access-to-info complaints

Complaining about access-to-info complaints

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office wants to bust up a monopoly. I think I’m the target. Let me explain. The Privy Council Office (PCO), home of the prime minister and cabinet, has been flooded with complaints about its failures to comply with the Access to Information Act.

Podcasts

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Moore-Butts: Do Advisory Council's Make A Difference Or Are They Just Show?

Moore-Butts: Do Advisory Council's Make A Difference Or Are They Just Show?

Amid much fanfare the government announced last week that it has established a new advisory council on trade with emphasis on the challenging situation with the United States. Looks impressive with some big names and a non partisan flavour. But do these work or are they just a gimmick? Former Harper cabinet minister James Moore and former Trudeau PMO adviser...

Carney's Canada one year later

Carney's Canada one year later

The Davos Speech, the Tariff profile, and now the Canada Strong Fund. It's been a busy year for Mark Carney since being elected as Canada's 24th Prime Minister this day last year, and as Canadians face tough economic and geopolitical uncertainty, we're taking a look back at how Carney has managed to bring the country together through some of the...

Is The Iran War Over If The Fighting Is Over?

Is The Iran War Over If The Fighting Is Over?

The Iran War enters its ninth week, but the fighting has been over for a while. Does that mean the war is over? Dr. Janice Stein is with us as she always is on Mondays and that's the topic today as the two sides, the United States and Iran, try to find ways to meet and negotiate. And Janice also...

Liberals are ‘hijacking’ the Charter, says Canada’s last living framer of the Constitution

Liberals are ‘hijacking’ the Charter, says Canada’s last living framer of the Constitution

Former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford is the one man still alive who was personally in the room with then prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau when provinces and the federal government agreed, together, to a new Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He talks to Brian about the real basis for Section 33 — the notwithstanding clause —...